NEW HARTFORD – Trailing by two sets in Wednesday night’s Section III Class A semifinal, the East Syracuse Minoa girls volleyball team nearly made it all the way back.

But in this heated Spartans clash it was New Hartford, in four sets, earning the right to go to Central Valley Aademy for the final against Rome Free Academy and ending ESM’s season with a 16-5 record.

These teams had met twice in the regular season. New Hartford needed five sets to prevail Dec. 10 but then won a sweep late in January, accounting for two of ESM’s four regular-season losses.

Now, in the third and most important battle between the two, New Hartford continued its recent trend in the first two sets, gaining control and not letting ESM get too close while winning those sets 25-19 and 25-20.

In the third set New Hartford moved within range of another sweep, only to have ESM, at 24-24, gain the serve and then earn set point to win 26-24 and prolong the match.

The fourth set proved just as tense. ESM now found itself a few points from forcing it to a final set, only to have New Hartford, with a single match point at 24-23, converting it to end the match.

Katelyn Davis was spectacular at the net for ESM earning 20 kills, with passes coming mostly from Kristina Levkovich and her 31 assists and defense from Leah Rehm, who had 34 digs.

Morgan Palmer notched 24 digs and four aces to go with nine kills, Erin Murnane adding eight kills, four blocks and 11 digs. Levkovich earned 16 digs and Bailey Rehm 14 digs plus seven assists as Davis produced seven digs.

Leading New Hartford, Keegan Matthews had 19 kills, 29 digs, three blocks, three aces and three assists. Leah Brennan earned 13 kills, Ashlee Fisher and Madison Freiberger eight kills apiece in front of Clare Colantuoni, who amassed 43 assists and 13 digs. Fisher picked up 23 digs and Riley Heenan added 13 digs.